Stocking-supporter.



Patented Sept. I6,` |902. E. H. WATERMAN.

STUCKING SUPPURTER.

(Application filed Oct. 24, 1901.)

ma Model.)

-WITNESSES z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIZABETH Il. VATERMAN, OF BlNGI-IAMTON, NEV YORK.

STOCKING-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,066, dated September 16, 1902.

Applicationliiled October 24,1901.` Serial No. 79,826. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ELIZABETH Il. WATER MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stocking-Supporter Clasps, ot' which the following is a speci tication.

This invention relates to stocking supporter clasps, and has for its object to provide an improved device of the class described which will possess points of advantage in convenience, simplicity, inexpensive'ness, effectiveness, and general efliciency. j

Another object of my invention is to pro' Vide an improved device of the class described which will firmly and securely hold the stocking, but will not injure or tear the same.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved device of the class described which will be easily and readily attached to and detached from the stocking and waist.

The present form of stocking supporter clasp is liable to tear the stockings and waists, causing inconvenience and annoyance and making unnecessary work. This difficulty is overcome in my improved stocking-supporter clasp by the use of an improved fastening device whieh is provided with a relatively yielding surface of comparatively large area and clamps both the waist and stocking and which cannot under ordinary conditions injure or tear the waist or lthe stocking.

In the drawings, Figure lis a side View of a stocking-supporter embodying my improvements in operative position. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of one ot' the clasps, showing the stocking in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the clasps for fastening the elastics together, showing the elasticsin section. Fig. 4E is aview similar to that in Fig. 3, showing a modification of my improvement.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

Myimproved stocking-supporter clasp comprises in general clamps adapted to receive and hold lirmly the several parts of the elastic and clamps'secured at the ends of such elastic and adapted to be secured to the stockings and the waist.

In the form shown in the drawings, l designates a stocking-supporter. Such supporter l preferably 4consists of a body portion 2 and two legs or branches 3. The upper end of said body portion 2 and the lower ends of the two legs 3 are provided with suitable clasps 4. A convenient method of forming such body portion 2 and legs 3 is to take a piece of elastic and secure at an equal distancefrom each end one of the clasps 4 and then divide the portion of the elastic between the clasps 4 in two equal parts and double such portion between the two portions of the elastichetween the clasps Il and the ends of the elastic, of each of which one of said secured clasps 4 will form the lower end. The elastic may be secured in such form by any suitable means, herein shown as clasps 5, ol a resilient material, located near the upper end of the body portion 2 and at the point where the body portion 2 joins the leg portions 3. Such clasps 5 may be clamped upon such elastic by any suitable means, herein shown as springs G, comprising two substantially parallel arms, one above and the other below the clasp 5, said arms pivoted at one end near the closed side of such clasp 5 and adapted to be swung around over said clasp 5 and press the open side of said clasp 5 together, causing it to clamp the parts of the elastic.

The clasps Ll may be of any suitable form for clamping the stockings and waist without injuring or tearing them. Aconvenient form of such clasp 4 and that shown herein comprises a loop 7 and jaws S, looped in said loop 7, one of said jaws 8 being provided on its inner surface with a pad 9, of a yielding material, and a spring l0, adapted to press said jaws 8 together. The loops 7 are adapted to receive and be secured to the upper end of the body portion 2 and the lower ends ot' the legs 3 in any suitable manner, herein shown as by passing the elastic through such loops 7. The spring lO may consist of two substanv tially parallel arms, one above and the other below such jaws, said arms being pivoted in said jaws 8 outside of the loop 7 and adapted to turn on thejaws 8 and press them together. The pad 9 may consist of any suitable mate-V rial, such as rubber or leather, and is secured to the jaw S in any suitable manner, such as by glue, cement, or rivets.

If desired, the springs 6 and l0 may consist of a single arm bent substantially at a right IOO without injury to either, and there will be.

no pulling out and tearing of the stockings or waist, as often happens with the present stocking-supporters.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood and ap preciated. W'hen it is desired to use myinlproved stocking-supporter, the clasp 4 at the upper end of the body portion 2 is clamped on thevwaist and the clasps 4c at the lower ends of the legs 3 are clamped on the stocking. The elastic yields and prevents any drawing` on the stocking or waist, while it holds the stockings up at all times. The clamping members are so organized that they hold firmly without injuring the stockings or Waist.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and improvements. I

the scope of my invention and the terms of y the following claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent-V 1. In an improved stocking supporter, clasps adapted to secure said stocking-sup, porter to the waist and to the stocking, said clasps each comprising a loop, jaws passed through the loop and having flat contact-surfaces, a pad of yielding material secured on the inner surface of one of said jaws, and spring-arms substantially parallel to each other, said arms passing through said jaws outside of the loop and riding over said jaws and adapted to press them together.

2. In an improved stocking-supporter, a clampingmemberembodyingjaws having dat contact-surfaces and adapted to be passed through a loop on said supporter, a pad secured to the inside of one of said jaws, and a substantially U-shaped spring-arm passing through said jaws adjacent to said loop and adapted to ride over said jaws and press them together.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence oi the subscribing witnesses.

i ELIZABETH H. WATERMAN. [Ls] Witnesses:

ARMENIA BIsHoP, WM. K. DIMMICK. 

